Google Adds ‘Terrain’ to Maps

As Barry at SEL points out, Google has replaced its “hybrid” (satellite and street) maps view with a Terrain button. In urban environments this means more “3D” like building outlines. In rural areas it means actual terrain:

Yosemite National Park:

San Francisco:

Google Maps and Earth effectively are on the same platform, which makes more interesting Earth-like innovations possible on Maps going forward. This is probably just the first of many.